Ohio's governor on Monday commuted the death sentence of convicted murderer Ronald Post, but not because of the obese inmate's claim that he was too large to be executed.

Republican Gov. John Kasich said in a statement that Post's legal representation "did not rise to the level that society has come to expect in death penalty cases." Post will instead spend life in prison with no chance of parole, The Associated Press reported. On Friday, a parole board had recommended that Post's death sentence be commuted to a life term, according to Reuters.

Post, 53, had been scheduled to die Jan. 16 for the 1983 shooting death of Helen Vantz in northern Ohio. The woman worked in an Elyria, Ohio motel Post was robbing, and died after the man shot her twice in the back of the head.

"Governor Kasich made the right decision by granting clemency to Ronald Post," Kevin Werner, executive director of Ohioans to Stop Executions, said in a statement. "The governor carefully examined the totality of mistakes in Mr. Post's case and acted accordingly. Our thoughts remain with the Vantz family."

Kasich told Reuters the clemency "should not be viewed by anyone as diminishing this awful crime or the pain it has caused."